Here Comes Karma
by PixiGhost
Summary: After a fight with Yuna over her joining Seymour's team, Tidus does something that even he didn't expect! The consequences? Death by exile!
1. Chapter 1

**It's unlike any story I've ever done before! (Not that I've written lots of stories yet!) Enjoy! *o* #PixiGhost**

***o*o*o***

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or any of the characters and locations used in this story.**

***o*o***

In Besaid, the usual calm atmosphere of the afternoon was replaced by drama and excitement. Word of Maester Seymour's new team had spread far and wide.

Seymour was putting together a team of Spira's best summoners to train together and defeat sin. The people of Besaid were overjoyed that Maester Seymour came all the way to Besaid to ask Lady Yuna in person to join his team. Yuna, engaged to Tidus, requested some time to think about it.

The villagers prepared a feast and lit a great fire in the town's centre. The people shuffled about with baskets of food and danced and sung in the warmth of the late afternoon. Lulu and Wakka spoke to Maester Seymour. Kimari and Auron kept their distance from the crowd while Rikku danced happily among the people. In the midst of all of this, Yuna was in her hut with Tidus having a very private conversation.

*o*o*o*

"I want to join Maester Seymour." Yuna said. The tone of her voice was gentle and steady.

Tidus said nothing. He simply stared coldly into her eyes with his arms folded.

"I won't let you." Tidus said. His voice was barley audible and his shaky. "I won't let you go."

"You must. If it brings joy to the people of Spira then I will gladly do it. We can still get married-"

"The people," Tidus laughed. His expression turned serious in a flash.

"What about us?" Tidus yelled. Yuna was startled by the way he raised his voice but remained motionless.

"Our wedding is in a week! Don't you think Seymour's idea is a bit too convenient?"

"Why do you hate him so much? The least you could do is support me!" Yuna yelled. Her bi-coloured eyes were suddenly filled with tears.

"When I proposed to you, I said that I wanted to guard you all the days of my life. Seymour is going to hurt you!" Tidus said as he tried to fight back the tears. It hurt him to know that she was choosing Seymour over him. It hurt him to know that he wouldn't be able to protect her. It hurt him to know that she was letting Seymour come between them.

"When I became a summoner I said that I would do anything in my power to bring joy to the people of Spira, even if it means going against my own feelings." Yuna said. She knew the time would come that she would have to give her life for Spira. A part of her wanted to believe that there was another way. Tidus knew that but chose to ignore it.

"All you ever seem to care about is the people!"

"Well maybe I do!"

They both raised their voices as the conversation became heated. The people outside the hut began to hear their argument. Eventually a crowd began to form. Rikku noticed the growing crowd and stood near the hut to listen to what was going on.

"I have chosen to save Spira! I don't care what I have to do to achieve my goal!" Yuna yelled.

"At least that's one thing you and Seymour have in common!"

Yuna paused for a moment and stared at him coldly.

"I can't believe you're comparing Seymour to me! You're going to be my husband!" Yuna cried.

"Well at least you aren't being compared to everyone, wife!" Tidus said as he rolled his eyes and folded his arms.

"Stop yelling at me!" Yuna cried.

"I'm not yelling!" Tidus said, raising his voice higher. "Why do you have to be so damn difficult?"

"Well it's not always smiles with you either! Do you know how hard it is to put up with your public displays and your whining? Why don't you just grow up?" Yuna screamed.

"Why don't you just leave?" Tidus shouted furiously. His voice echoed and brought about complete silence.

Yuna burst into tears and ran out the hut. She pushed through the crowd aggressively and ran to Lulu who embraced her lovingly.

"We'll talk about this later." Lulu said as she stroked Yuna's brunette hair. Yuna cried bitterly, completely unaware of everything else.

In the hut, Tidus dropped to his knees and began to cry with his face in his hands. Rikku came inside the hut. She pulled the beaded curtain of the entrance closed and knelt beside him.

"I heard everything. I know what she wants to do to you." Rikku said. She hugged him tight.

*o*o*o*

Night arrived and the hustle and bustle of the afternoon had ended in low spirits.

Yuna was back at the hut alone. She hadn't seen Tidus since she ran off that afternoon. The hut was quiet but she felt as though she could still hear him yelling at her.

Yuna sat by the window looking out at the town centre. She could see Lulu and Wakka's hut and the town's Inn where Kimari and Auron stayed. She saw Rikku's hut across the street which had an open window. Yuna could see the young Al Bhed frantically fanning a pot. Yuna giggled to herself.

"Well this is just great!" Rikku said as she put out the fire under the pot. "I guess I won't be eating dinner tonight." Rikku said as she pulled out a crate of beer from under her bed.

Rikku closed the window's curtains and removed her clothes. She changed into her lacey cotton mini dress that she wore to sleep and let down her strawberry blond hair.

A while later she heard someone call her name. Rikku walked over and pushed away the heavily beaded curtain that was the entrance of her hut. She froze.

Standing in front of her was a depressed looking Tidus. At least that's what he seemed like before he realised how hot Rikku looked. Rikku giggled when she noticed how he eyed her body. His face was bright red. Tidus eventually snapped out of it.

"Mind if I crash here for the night? I really don't think Yuna wants to see me right now."

"Sure." Rikku giggled, a little tipsy. "Make yourself at home."

Tidus walked in and she pulled the curtain closed behind him.

Yuna watched from her hut across the road. The small smile she had on her face faded. Rikku didn't seem to notice Yuna watching the whole time. Yuna stood up and walked away from the window. She threw herself on the bed and drowned herself in deep thought.

Was her own cousin really trying to steal the love of her life? Her eyes began to fill with tears. She desperately tried to make herself believe that Tidus just needed some space and in the morning things would be back to normal. Nothing seemed to drown the slight feeling of betrayal. It worried her.

Back in Rikku's hut, Tidus and Rikku were seated on the edge of the bed with a crate of beer in front of them.

"I couldn't get dinner right tonight so," Rikku gave Tidus a bottle of beer. "Enjoy."

Tidus opened the bottle and took a look sip. The depression disappeared from his face.

"Whoa what is this?"

"It's a special Al Bhed mix that makes you so happy that you laugh at everything that's bothering you." Rikku laughed.

*o*o*o*

Hours later...

Tidus and Rikku were totally wasted. They both talked aimlessly and laughed uncontrollably.

"I'm Yuna and I love being Spira's pet!" Tidus said as she imitated Yuna.

"And I'm Seymour, mighty leash!" Rikku said as she laughed hysterically. Her dress hung loosely on her body. Tidus grinned.

"Nice kitty." Tidus said, amorous as he leaned onto her.

"Wild lupine." Rikku said, flirtatious in every way as she moved closer to Tidus.

The energy from the Al Bhed drinks kicked in again and they both became aggressive and excited at the same time.

Rikku pushed Tidus onto his back and pinned him down forcefully. He felt a rush of excitement and surprise from how strong she was. He grabbed her body harshly and kissed her roughly.

Meanwhile, Yuna lay in bed unable to sleep, mainly because she couldn't stop thinking of Tidus and because of the ceaseless noise outside. She eventually got up after hours of self convincing and rapped a warm blanket over her and went outside.

At this time of the night, it was cold and the only source of light was the moon. Yuna looked across the road and saw that the lights in Rikku's hut were still on. A small crowd of villagers and armed warrior monks gathered at the entrance. Some had pulled away the entrance's heavy curtain and peeped inside while the others looked through the window.

That's when she heard it.

The screams of pleasure. The ceaseless laughter. The sound of bottles being thrown about.

Yuna rushed over and talked to one of the monks closest to the window.

"Lady Yuna," The monk gulped. "You aren't going to like this."

He stepped aside and let Yuna look through the window.

"I'm so sorry Lady Yuna. I wish there was something we could do." An old lady said as she stroked Yuna's back.


	2. Chapter 2

In the early hours of the morning, the villagers were up and ready to start their day's work. Many were gathered at the temple and at the village centre after word of the previous night had spread.

The temple's armed monks guarded the doorway of Rikku's hut and a few were inside with Yuna and Lulu.

The hut was deserted. The floor was overcast with clothes, glass and hundreds of bottles. A pot of burnt dinner was overturned with its contents spilt on the floor. The dresser was left open and empty with all the clothes thrown about.

In the midst of all the chaos, Tidus lay on the bed peacefully with Rikku nestled in his arms. They were both nude and immersed in a deep sleep.

A monk stretched his gun over the sea of bottles and clothes and poked the bed. Rikku shook a little and grumbled.

"Go away." Rikku mumbled sleepishly. "It's not work hour yet."

"I'm not your slave." Tidus mumbled. "Ask Wakka, Yuna."

A wave of gasps resounded through the crowd of monks as Tidus pulled Rikku closer to himself.

The effects of the Al Bhed beer still hadn't worn off completely. They both ignored the monk and continued sleeping.

Unable to wake them up, the monk got annoyed and shot at the ceiling.

Rikku sat up. She stretched her arms and yawned. Tidus, still half asleep, had his eyes closed and reached for the warmth of Rikku's body with both arms.

"Hey! You! Get up!" The monk yelled. Tidus opened his eyes and sat up slowly. They both observed their surroundings and seemed confused and surprised, but mostly bored.

"I'm going to the waterfall for a quick shower." Rikku said, lazily. "Wanna come?"

"Maybe later. I have to get Yuna back before she starts acting like an old lady again." Tidus said as he yawned, completely unaware that Yuna was standing right there. Yuna frowned but remained quiet.

Rikku fell back onto the bed laughing madly. She too was unaware of Yuna and the monks.

A monk stepped forward and cast Esuna on them. The effects of the beer melted away.

Rikku's insane laughter turned into screams as she pulled the bed sheets over her bare chest. Tidus became aware of his own nudity and grabbed a pillow to cover himself.

"Upsetting the summoner, insulting the summoner and now cheating on the summoner? Do you know the consequences of that?" The priest asked sternly. "Death by exile!"

Yuna couldn't look at them any longer. She turned away.

"It's not my fault! It was the drinks! I couldn't control what happened after the third bottle!" Tidus yelled. "I don't even remember most of it!"

"Lies! We have witnesses that saw and heard the whole thing!" The monk said.

"Then why didn't someone try to stop us?" Rikku asked.

"They tried to separate you but," Yuna mumbled. "You just kept going on!" Yuna said as she began to cry. Lulu snuggled her in her arms.

"Get dressed. You're going for a swim." The monk said.

Tidus looked at Yuna and stretched an arm out to her. "Yuna it wasn't my- "

"Why don't you just go away and never come back?" Yuna cried as she ran out the hut.

*o*o*o*

At midday, a ship from Bevelle arrived at Port Besaid. Tidus and Rikku were forced into a cell and the ship left without a word from anyone.

The cell was a small 2x3 empty cabin within the ship with two thick iron gates. On the outside of the cell was a large room with a door to the deck. The cell was guarded by six warrior monks.

The guards told them that they were headed for Bevelle. That was the exile part. They knew it would be a long journey.

Tidus and Rikku hadn't said a word to each other the whole time. At Besaid, they dressed up in an awkward silence and walked all the way to the docks without saying a word to anyone. They sat at opposite sides of the small cell and leaned against the walls. The watchful guards left the cabin after securing the cell with a black magic spell.

Tidus stared at Rikku intently. She looked at him with an annoyed expression.

"What?" Rikku asked, turning her face away.

He lied when he said he didn't remember anything that happened. They both lied. The previous night, they both confessed to having feelings for each other. Now faced with reality, they had no idea how to move on from it.

Tidus thought about Rikku a lot more now. He wondered how he would spend his last moments alive. He desperately wanted to show Rikku how he really felt. Tidus hesitated but eventually leaned closer to Rikku. Her cheeks turned bright red as she gazed into his sky blue eyes. He pressed his lips onto hers.

"What are we doing?" Rikku asked, emotionless. A tear slid down her face.

"The same thing that got us here." Tidus said as he stroked her hair and resumed kissing.

They had lots of time to each other in the afternoon. The guards only returned in the evening.

*o*o*o*

Yuna spent the rest of her day preparing for her journey with Seymour but when night came, she lay in bed crying uncontrollably. The events of the previous night played over in her mind countless times. She had to come to terms with the fact that Tidus and Rikku were gone forever and were going to die together. That hurt her even more.

Yuna eventually got up and dressed. She took her staff and left home for the beach, trying not to think about Tidus and Rikku.

At the beach, she summoned Valefor and climbed onto it's back. It took off and soared through the night sky. She lay on Valefor's warm back and closed her eyes. The aeon could sense her misery. It glided through the air gracefully and she began to feel at peace.

"Take me back to Besaid in the morning."

*o*o*o*

"Underground Bevelle!" Rikku screamed as the guards pushed them into the tunnel of clear water.

"Via Purifico, to be correct." The guard said as he tossed their weapons in the water after them. "Have fun."

"Hey! You can't just leave us here!" Tidus yelled. The guard turned around and looked Tidus in the eyes.

"Maybe you should have thought about that before leaving Lord Braska's daughter for this Al Bhed scum!" The monk replied.

"Hey! My father is the Al Bhed leader!" Rikku raged. "He's gonna be mad when he hears about this!"

The guards walked away, snickering and giggling. Tidus and Rikku began swimming down the tunnel of cold, clear water. The water was deep but they could keep their heads above the water.

"Do you think there's a way out?" Rikku asked.

"They aren't expecting us to survive so there has to be a way out of here." Tidus said.

The the tunnel seemed endless. Hungry fiends roamed around the bottom. Tidus and Rikku swam close to each other and kept their heads above the water to avoid the fiends.

As they went further along the tunnel, they could see more fiends beneath them all swimming in a circle. In the middle of the circle of fiends was a ball of elements.

They swam closer to it to get a better look at it. That's when they realised that the fiends around it were all dead. They started feel even more cold than they already were. Then, the fiends stopped moving.

"We need to find a way out of here fast!" Tidus said, sensing the incoming danger. He looked around anxiously for a way out.

"There! Over there!" Rikku said, pointing to a drainage. "We'll have to swim over to it. It's the only way."

"I'll go first." Tidus said, readying his sword for action. They swam as fast as their bodies would let them.

Rikku had just barley made it over the ball of elements when it sprung up and knocked her unconscious.

"Rikku!" Tidus yelled. He grabbed her by the arm and dived into the darkened water as fast as he could. He turned to look at the fiend briefly. It was Dark Bahamut.

It's claws slashed violently through the water. He was just about to enter the drainage when the dark aeon began casting Ultima. Tidus was out of range but the force of the spell caused the water to rush turbulently through the drainage.

Tidus embraced Rikku with both arms as the water pushed them through the drain and into the dry and dimly lit underground Bevelle. They had made it out of the water but were still in Via Purifico.

The force of the water tossed them into the air and down on the cold tilled floor.

Tidus groaned in pain and coughed. He cleared his vision and put Rikku down gently beside him.

He called her name and tried to get a response out of her. She was still senseless. He was shivering as he carefully pushed the wet hair off her face. She had a deep cut on the side of her forehead.

Tidus frantically searched his inventory for a potion. He had nothing but his sword and the clothes on his back. He held her tight in his arms.

"Rikku wake up!" He screamed desperately. His voice echoed through the empty hallways. He couldn't hold himself from bursting into tears as he shook her lifeless body.

"Rikku please wake up! Rikku please," He cried. "Don't leave me now!"

His sorrow was replaced with fear when he heard footsteps approaching him quickly. Tidus looked around nervously as he reached for his sword. He didn't see anyone but the footsteps were getting louder as they came closer.

"Who's there?" Tidus screamed. The footsteps became quicker and he heard the sound of a gun clicking. He was agitated now.

"Stay away from me! Stay away from me!"


	3. Chapter 3

Tidus stood up slowly with his hand on the hilt of his sword. He heard steady breathing behind a weak pillar. He creeped up behind the weak pillar and kicked it down.

A man jumped out from behind the pillar and pointed his gun at Tidus.

"Don't make any sudden movements!" The man said in his gruff voice, pointing his machina gun at Tidus. He wore dark goggles and had short jet-black hair. The man was definitely an Al Bhed.

Tidus backed away slowly and dropped his sword. A young Al Bhed girl creeped out from behind a pillar. She seemed quite unusual for an Al Bhed girl. Her goggles were pushed up into her long cherry hair, revealing her green spiral eyes. She wore a long top and shorts and had belts with pockets for many different items.

"Hey! You're Al Bhed!" Tidus said cheerfully. The man pointed the gun to his head and demanded something in Al Bhed.

"I don't understand you!" Tidus yelled repeatedly as the man continued to interrogate him in a language he could never understand. The girl came closer to him.

"Where is she?" She asked.

"Rikku!" Tidus yelled. The man moved his gun closer to Tidus' forehead, eyeing him closely. "She's over there!"

The Al Bhed girl nodded and went to Rikku. She mumbled something as she took an Al Bhed potion from an item bag that hung loosely at the back pocket of her shorts.

Tidus groaned a little and reached for Rikku. He didn't want them near her. The Al Bhed man pushed his machina gun into Tidus' cheek.

"Keep this up and I'll end you!" The man said, his voice stricter.

"Why couldn't you speak English from the start?" Tidus complained. "Who are you anyway?"

"I'm Wen, a member of the Al Bhed Specials Squad." The man said proudly. "And she's Kinah, my daughter. She's the youngest member of the Al Bhed Specials."

Tidus looked at Wen with disbelief. The Al Bhed Specials was a group that consisted of only the most skilled Al Bhed in Spira and Rikku ran the group.

"How old is she?" Tidus asked.

"She just turned fifteen." Wen said proudly. "And she's already skilled in using Al Bhed items, tools and machina."

Tidus observed Kinah. She sat on the floor comfortably, mixing and pouring Al Bhed potions on Rikku's wounds. Rikku twitched a little as she began to regain consciousness.

The Al Bhed man sighed in relief and Tidus rushed over to Rikku's side as he lowered his machina gun. Rikku seemed confused and said nothing.

"She is a little startled." Kinah said. "What happened to her?"

Tidus explained what had happened and told her about the dark aeon. Kinah didn't seem very surprised. She simply nodded and proceeded to explain Rikku's injuries.

"If I person survives an attack like that from a dark aeon, their health will randomly go from okay to dangerously bad." Kinah said. "It won't happen often but there is a chance of it killing her when it does."

"Can you cure her?" Tidus asked, pleading on Rikku's behalf.

"There is white magic for it." Kinah said. "But only summoners know how to do it."

Tidus' heart sank. He knew that no summoner would want to heal an Al Bhed and by now, everyone must have heard about what happened in Besaid.

"We are going to get out of here and take you and Rikku to Home." Kinah said. She told Rikku something in Al Bhed and helped her stand up.

"The exit is that way!" Wen said, pointing at the far end of the hallway. "It's quite a distance from here."

"How did you guys get in here?" Rikku asked, a little suspicious of them. Even though they were part of her team, she was aware that there were those who envied her as the leader.

"We dug our way in from Macalania Woods." Kinah said. "We must hurry before the monks discover the hole near the entrance."

Kinah showed Rikku her necklace that was hidden in her top. It was a silver oval with Al Bhed writing. Only the Al Bhed Specials had them.

"You must be the new member, Kinah." Rikku said cheerfully. "When you wear the Special, wear it with pride and let the world see it."

Wen and Kinah nodded and readjusted their necklaces. The surface glowed a shiny emerald and looked like the eyes of an Al Bhed.

"Okay then!" Rikku said. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Tidus smiled and let their fingers interlock as they ran through together.

*o*o*o*

It had been two days since Tidus and Rikku were sent to their death. Yuna had left for Guadosalam early in the morning with Guado escorts and arrived a day later in the evening. Wherever she went, people gave her gifts and by the time she finally reached Guadosalam she had more items and luggage than the escorts could carry.

Yuna was taken straight to the Guadosalam mansion when she arrived. When she was finally alone she paced around in deep though. Yuna was still unsure if she made the right decision about joining Seymour's team . She felt a little uneasy about being all the way in Guadosalam without her guardians. She eventually snapped out of her deep thoughts and entered the dining room of Seymour's Guadosalam mansion.

The large table was dressed in fine linen and laden with food. The only time she had ever seen that much food was the celebration night of her becoming a summoner.

At the table was Dona, Isaaru, Belgamini, Seymour and Symble, a summoner from Bevelle unknown to the other summoners. She was much younger than Yuna and wore her long brunette hair in a braid down her back. Symble's spiral eyes reminded Yuna of Rikku, only hers were blue.

"Welcome, Lady Yuna." Seymour said."Please, sit."

Seymour said a few words and made a toast before they started eating. During the course of dinner, he explained everything.

Seymour's vision was to create a team of powerful summoners who could combine the power of their most powerful aeons to defeat Sin without the use of the final summoning. Seymour completely excluded guardians from their team and because of that, the energy in the room was pure, heavy and unmixed. They all could feel it.

It was hard to say who was the most powerful summoner. They all had powerful aeons and skills.

Dona's strongest aeon was Ifrit and she was highly skilled in fire attacks and magic. Isaaru's strongest aeon was Ixion and his lightning spells and attacks were stronger than everyone else. Yuna's strongest aeon was Valefor and her white magic was the best in Spira. Seymour's strongest aeon was Anima so his dark magic was extremely powerful.

"And you, Symble?" Isaaru asked in his usual friendly tone, trying to get a word out of her. She hadn't said anything since she walked in.

"Bahamut." Symble said, her voice low and steady. "I can increase the power of any magic."

Yuna was surprised at that but said nothing and kept a fixed expression. Yuna had heard about the ability to increase magic skills. It was rumoured that users of the ability became more powerful from absorbing the lives and energy from people. Only high temple member and summoners had heard about it. Yuna was sure that Dona, Isaaru and Belgamini knew about it. Maybe they also said nothing about it at the time to avoid drama with their new team member.

*o*o*o*

After dinner, the Guado servants led them to their separate rooms. Yuna closed the heavy wooden. Her mind darted to her suitcase which was left open and empty. She checked the wardrobe and found that her clothes were packed away neatly with some of the spheres she took with her. When she checked the spheres one of them was missing.

In her suitcase, she had hidden a sphere that Tidus sent her the day of his exile. Every night, Yuna watched it before she slept:

"Yuna, I don't have much time. I know you don't believe me but it's the truth! What happened was completely out of my control and it wasn't Rikku's fault either! It was the Al Bhed drinks! What happened between me and Rikku meant nothing to me! Yuna I- "

The sphere went dark and all she could hear afterwards were monks yelling.

Yuna was trying to use her white magic to read the thoughts and emotions he had on that day. It was something summoners could do if the person or people in the sphere were still alive. Yuna struggled to and even though she succeeded a lot more the second time, she didn't understand. His thoughts were completely different from his feelings.

Yuna was in her room searching her suitcase frantically. Every nook and cranny was empty. Everything was packed away and even her staff was placed in a special glass case.

She searched the wardrobe thoroughly and but was still no sign of Tidus' sphere.

"Looking for this?" Seymour asked, leaning in the door way holding the sphere. Yuna strut over to him and snatched it out of his hands.

"I would appreciate if you and your Guado respect my belongings." Yuna said, firmly.

"Why choose to spare the life of the man who betrayed you?" Seymour asked. Yuna said nothing and refused to make any more eye contact. Seymour had taken the sphere and read the energy within it while it was with him. He stared at her in silence for a moment waiting for her response.

"You felt the energy. You know he is alive. You know how he feels and what he thinks but you do not know the truth." Seymour said. Yuna remained quiet. "I know the truth. Would you like to know it too?"

"I am a summoner just like you. I can figure it out by myself." Yuna replied coldly. Seymour nodded and turned around.

"Wait!" Yuna called. He stopped. "What does it all mean?"


	4. Chapter 4

**After busy weeks and crushed confidence, chapter 4 is finally here. Enjoy the rest of the story!**

*o*o*o*

"His mind is filled with thoughts of you but his feelings are directed elsewhere." Seymour said. Yuna didn't quite understand what he meant.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Yuna asked.

"What I mean is that he thinks of you because he is afraid of your power." Seymour said.

"But why? He knows that I would never hurt him." Yuna said.

"He is aware of the possibility that you might if you find him because, Lady Yuna, he is in love with Rikku."

Yuna felt a chill run through her body as Seymour's words rang in her ears. Seymour handed her the sphere and she took it with slow and shaky hands. Her eyes were filled with tears as she stared into the clear blue surface of the sphere and began to read the energy to confirm what Seymour said.

"I don't believe you!" Yuna cried. "Why would his feelings for her change in one day?"

"It's simple: they never did. He always felt that way about her." Seymour said.

Yuna was so grief-stricken that she couldn't concentrate and read the sphere's energy properly. She closed her eyes as the tears streamed down her cheeks and let the sphere slide out of her hands. It hit the wooden floor and rolled under the dresser.

"Now that you know the truth, is his life worth sparing?" Seymour asked.

"Fate will answer that." She said.

"You have the power to bring pain to those who deserve it." Seymour said. "I can teach you how. I can teach you things beyond what the temples know."

Yuna stopped crying and wiped away her tears. Her expression turned serious and angry.

"Think of it this way," Seymour said. "You could have the power to punish those who deserve pain. Will you let me teach you the secrets of magic?" Seymour asked and held his hand out to her. Yuna stared fixedly into his cerulean blue eyes.

"I don't want to waste any more time." Yuna replied and put her hand onto his. He led her out of the room and they went away. No one knew where they went that night.

*o*o*o*

At midnight, the four of them escaped from Via Purifico, dirty and tired, through a hole in the woods that Wen and Kinah made to get in. Near the hole was a locked chest that Kinah brought with her to keep her supplies. The key to the chest was her Special.

"Our airship is at the Calm Lands. We'll have to spend the night here because it's too dangerous to be roaming around now." Wen said.

"Start setting up a camp. I'll be at the lake." Rikku said, walking away.

"We'll be at the northern part of the woods." Kinah said and went to set up the camp with Wen. Just as they turned their backs, Tidus followed Rikku without anyone knowing. He wanted to be sure that she was okay.

Ever since the dark aeon injury, he blamed himself for not being able to protect her when she needed him the most. Tidus was determined to guard her, just as he guarded Yuna before.

When Rikku reached the lake she waddled into the crystal clear water and stood on the lake bed. The water reached up to her shoulders. She looked up at the luminous sky of the woods, deep in thought.

It wasn't the first time she had come to the lake. She often came to the lake whenever she wanted to think something through. Rikku had lots to think about ever since the Besaid incident. Her feelings for Tidus had come to surface in such an overwhelming way that she started to wonder if her own people would accept her.

Tidus waddled into the lake and stood beside her, making his presence known. They said nothing to each other for a long time. They both realised that it would be a long time before they would ever have peace and quiet. Rikku, being Cid's daughter and leader of the Specials, had always been used to a restless life.

Since Rikku was a child, she had to accept the fact that most of Spira hated the Al Bhed. She had be smart, agile and brave. She quickly learned that Spira has pity on nobody. Cid stated to take her on missions throughout the desert when she was only seven years old and by her teens, she went on missions all over Spira and learned to fly her own airship. To the Al Bhed, Rikku was a prodigy but all the while she felt as though she had been denied the right to peace. Being in the lake that night, in the still and mystical woods, fulfilled that even though it was just for a while.

Tidus, on the other hand, didn't know what work and responsibility meant until he came to Spira. In Zanarkand he spent most of his life playing blitzball and going out at night with friends. In Zanarkand he was adored by everyone but in Spira he was hated by almost everyone. He thought about Seymour and his latest ally, Yuna.

_"I wonder where Yuna is. They're probably getting cosy together right now."_ He thought. He signed and let his body float on the surface of the lake.

"It's all my fault." Tidus said solemnly. "Us getting sent to Bevelle and you being attacked by that dark aeon is all my fault. I should have never let any of this happen."

"Would you rather be back in Besaid with Yuna right now, arguing?" Rikku giggled. "Things are never going to go back to the way they were before." Rikku said and got out of the water. "Us being together happened because, well, you wanted it to happen."

She headed back to camp without another word to Tidus. What she said made him realise that the reason why Rikku didn't worry so much was because she didn't depress herself over things that had already happened.

Tidus got out of the water and took his time to walk back to camp. He looked up at the sky and imagined what it would be like if he was honest about his feelings for Rikku before getting involved with Yuna. He would probably be at the blitz tournament with Rikku on his team. In the months before his engagement to Yuna, he had been training Rikku for blitzball because she was such a good swimmer. They had grown closer in those months. He smiled at that thought.

As he approached the group, he caught a glimpse of the camp and was shocked. Wen and Kinah were frantically packing their belongings into a backpack that had been in the chest. When everything was packed, Wen helped Kinah strap the backpack onto her back while Rikku cleared up any traces that they had been there.

"What's going on?" Tidus asked, completely clueless.

"The warrior monks are out!" Rikku whispered. Tidus paused for a moment and could hear faint footsteps, voices and rumbling in the woods.

"Where are we going?" Tidus whispered.

"To the airship." Rikku whispered back, pointing to the path that lead to the Calm Lands. As soon as Wen and Kinah were ready the group sprinted up the path to the Calm Lands, never looking back and trying to keep their footsteps in unison with their pursuers.

After several moments of tiresome running they reached the grassy plains of the Calm Lands. Wen went straight to the edge of the highland and jumped down to the path that lead to the abandoned temple. He assisted Kinah down and signalled for Rikku and Tidus to follow them.

"The airship is this way. We had to land at the temple's entrance to avoid being seen." Wen said. They all ran through the pathway where the airship was.

"Hey!" Rikku said, cheering up. She immediately recognised that the airship they had used was her own personalised airship, the Godhand. It was half the size of Cid's airship but faster with a long body and designed in a way that a group could live in it. Its silver exterior glistened in the moonlight as though it was new.

"Welcome back to the Specials."Wen said proudly as he dropped onto one knee and presented Rikku with the airship's access key. The key was Rikku's Special. Tidus hadn't noticed before that she wasn't wearing it because he didn't know much about the Specials until he met Wen and Kinah. Rikku never talked about them or revealed that she was the leader because, like most Al Bhed, they were seen as a huge threat to the temples.

Rikku took the Special with both hands and held it close to her heart. She was excited as she activated the airship and watched it's ramp roll out as if it were welcoming her. Just then, she heard voices not far off, arguing. The warrior monks were catching up.

The four of them boarded the airship and Rikku immediately got the engine started. The inside of the airship had long rows of seats against the walls and right in the front in the middle was were Rikku sat. On either side of her were two seats with sphere screens.

Wen pulled out a machina cannon gun out of a compartment from behind Rikku's seat.

"I'll stall them." Wen said, positioning himself on a passenger's seat by an open window. "We'll have to use non-lethal force."

"Why?" Tidus complained.

"If the temples hear about a monk massacre it'll start a war." Wen replied. Kinah dragged a box of metal balls from across the room to Wen.

"I need you over here, Kinah!" Rikku ordered. Kinah looked at the ammo and then at Tidus.

"Help Wen with the ammo." Kinah instructed. She showed him how to load the machina cannon gun for Wen.

"Don't load it too fast or it will backfire." Kinah said sternly before going to take a seat at the navigation station on the left of Rikku's seat. It had a large sphere screen with a digital map of Spira.

"We're not getting enough power!" Rikku said. A purple light beamed and an alarm rang.

"Kinah, I need you to run down to the engine room and check the core."Rikku commanded. Kinah jumped out of her seat and sprinted to the elevator. The elevator doors shifted apart slightly.

"There's not enough power for the elevator!" Rikku said. Kinah sprinted down the ship's emergency staircase and within seconds she was at the silver sliding door of the engine room.

Back upstairs, Wen was struggling to keep the monks away from the airship. Some of the monks had gone back to Bevelle and returned to the airship with reinforcements.

"I can't keep them off much longer!" Wen said. Moments later, Kinah came back upstairs.

"Everything should be fine now." Kinah said before realising how bad the situation had become. The ship was fine but outside there seemed to be more and more monks gathering.

Suddenly the engine gave off a loud bang and the airship began to soar through the air.

"Get in your seats!" Rikku yelled. Kinah got back to the navigation station and Tidus and Wen sat quickly and put on their seat belts.

The airship rose higher and got faster, cutting through the clouds until all they could see was the star-lit sky and the radiance of the moon. All the troubles of the day seemed to disappear as the ship began to position itself straight and glide through the air gracefully.

Rikku praised Kinah for her brilliant machina skills before setting the ship to auto pilot and getting out of her seat.

"How are you feeling?" Kinah asked Rikku.

"Tired." She replied, yawning. She went into the elevator and Kinah, Wen and Tidus followed and the silver doors of the elevator shut.

The elevator took them a floor up to the rooms. When the doors opened, they stepped into a long hallway with rooms on each side and at the far end was a large room which was Rikku's private cabin. All the rooms had private bathrooms and a compartment for clothes, armour and weapons.

Wen and Kinah went into their separate rooms and Tidus followed Rikku into the main cabin.

Tidus went straight to the large bed in the centre, not caring about anything else. He lay on his back, put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. He could hear Rikku shuffling about but was too tired to care what she was doing. Suddenly all the movement stopped. Tidus listened to the silence for a while and then heard Rikku giggling. He then felt a small figure on top his warm body and slender fingers playing with his hair.

"We're going to Home tomorrow." Rikku whispered.

"I know." Tidus said.

"There are some people you need to know about. You're gonna have to meet them pretty soon." Rikku said. Tidus opened his eyes and stared at her for a moment. She was wearing a long loose-fitting tank top and her golden hair was still lustrous even though the room was dimly lit.

"Should I be worried?" He asked. Rikku didn't reply. Tidus knew at that moment that there really was something to worry about.

"Don't worry about it." Rikku said, forcing a fake smile. She closed her eyes and put her head on his chest. She listened to his heart beat and wondered if it was the last time that he would want to spend the night with her like this. Tidus closed his eyes and put his arms around her and wondered if there was someone at Home that would come between them.

Clearly there was much to be worried about. Rikku only kept something a secret if it would hurt her or someone else. Tidus, unsure of what it was, braced himself for the worst.

He listened to her breathing and felt her heartbeat gradually slow down.

"Rikku, are you okay?" Tidus asked. She mumbled something very inaudible. After checking on her a second time, he knew something was wrong. He carefully moved from beneath her, and went to get Kinah.


End file.
